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2,600 North Yorkshire patients get NHS dentist

More than 2,600 patients in York and Selby were allocated an NHS dentist last month, slashing the waiting list by 90%, according to www.thepress.co.uk.

Only 112 patients remain on the waiting list in the York and Selby area – a dramatic drop from the 2,123 patients who were waiting this time last year.

The latest figures show that North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) has invested more than £13 million in new NHS dental contracts so far this financial year.

Amanda Brown, the PCT's assistant director of commissioning and service development, hailed their success in finding more NHS dentists.

She said: 'The recent investment in NHS dental centres – including the new ADP practice in York – has seen a marked reduction in waiting lists across the PCT.

'In North Yorkshire and York as whole, we have registered over 22,000 patients with an NHS dentist in the past six months.

'We will continue to work with dentists in the area to create further capacity.'

Patients wishing to register with an NHS dentist are added to the PCT's dental database.

They will then be registered with an NHS dentist as soon as a space becomes available.

Some people will ask to join the database for a particular practice, which can extend their wait.

Since the launch of the dental database in 2004, the PCT has registered 86,483 people across North Yorkshire.

Anyone in North Yorkshire wishing to join the database can register their details by phoning 01904 724107 or emailing nyy-pct.dentalregistration@nhs.net They can also register by writing to NHS Dental Waiting List, FREEPOST NEA 13107, York YO31 7ZX.